AUTUMN WORK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 59, 9 March 1878, Page 1

AUTUMN WORK.

(Canterbury- Times)

After disposing of the : harvest and threshing, there is usually some little slack time before the press of tillage work comes on. . The ploughshould be set going as early in the" autumn as possible, for this is almost an indispensible condition of a good crop next year. Let a .farmer lose one fine autumn clay when the land is in good order for -working, -and he will never overtake the- time- thus lost. No increase of energy in the winter, when the soil is saturated with water, will make up for loss of time in the autumn. But a farmer's whole force/ as a rule, is nofc wholly taken up by the work of ploughing. Until sowing and other field operations press in, there is some spare strength' available for other necessary work. Attention 1 should be : given to the various thoroughfares about the farm, and gateways should be shingled, drains cleaned out, fences and buildings repaired. Attention to these matters will be fully repaid by the additional comfort felt in the winter. Ditches and drains are very liable to get grown over and'othcrwise obstructed in the summer, and : it is therefore of special importance that they should be attended to before the. winter sets in. This is ' necessary even on land of a tolerably dry nature as a, provision for draining off the surface water from the land under tillage. Drains should also be dug round stacks intended for spring threshing. Good managers are, of course, well aware of the necessity of attending to these matters, but a reminder may not be thrown away even on good managers, and there are many who, from neglect or inexperience, do not come under that heading. " Odd work "on a farm accumulates with astonishing rapidity, and if not looked after pretty constantly gets hopelessly in arrear. ' This state of affairs may be seen on not a few farms, and is generally attributed to want of

•linie." ' We would Venture 1 t<y ' sugg'e's 1 1 ! '•'•' that: some of 'those' nuinerbus'tiaiys de-P voted' to' r " marketing-' at Seasdiis' ivhen^ ■-'• farmersufiaye little to' buy ; 'and > idss' 't6' l;:1 sell, might 1 with b ! e v gitietiMtb |! ' ; looking tfp:thdse minor' I 'matters' Wttieh •>'' contribute' so much 1 towards" -'the I ' bleat"! appearance; and withal ; profitable 1 Wo" rk£ ' ■' '"* ing of a farm. It is very 'easy ' ! f6f!>a'' ' man to: persuade himself- ttiat^he^iiaS'^ business in toAVn ' which 'requires ' Ms -•■•; personal attention at least ond'day mfcn l e it l week, but a little foresight is. aill' that 1 is -" required to save botli timeaiid 1 money ! "> in this respect. - ' : ! '■-. :i ; ■•'>'•■ <■' : In the autumn special care must -be : • given to the management of the' stock. !:: This, however, is no I 1 to be' classed 1 with 1 : '' : "odd work ;" it is a most' important" ; branch of the' business.' With largo 11 ' flocks the drafting, culling, 1 &c.; : are' :! i' usually undertaken in a systematic' way.-' ! ' ; The flock ; owner who : understands his ' : business would not dream of neglectinghis autumn 1 arrangements.' Those who • : have had experience with stock kiiow^' ; that there can be very little' profit dXcepfe' !lii withont proper' attention. : !; Biit 'the"! ' farming community 'of Ganterbury •i'ni' 0 ' 1 eludes members in every stage of'kno'w-' ; '' ledge. It embraces numbers whd : have ' l had. experience in cropping, and in crop- :> ping only, and who are gradually work-' '''''■ ing their way into a ; bett"er : system.' M! Men iii this, position are 1 too apt at'fltsfc " ! to look, upon the flocks as a' veiy 'second^- : >■ nry matter, and to devote" all'th'eir best 1 l energies to grain growing. ! They 'tod ' 1:; often imagine that the duties of a'ilock 1 "' owner consist in purchasing a number of : sheep, turning them onto the-lan'dj'a'ncr." •<■ then the profit will come ' in the natural ■ ' course of events. But after a season oi^ 1 ' so it is found that tlib expected profits" fail to put in an appearance. The : far lj( ' mer then discovers that to make this : ; branch of his business pay he must give' 1 ; more attention to 'it,' : and work oii i "a- t ! :r more enlightened plani ; In some cases^ "■''■ however, he jumps to the conclusion that sheep are a delusion, and thereafter i!i devotes his energies more earnestly thati ; ever to cropping. From lack" of means ! : struggling farmers are often compelled ■ to lay the foundation of th'oir flocks with animals of a very inferior class, but ■■'

whether the material that he begins upon be good or bad, it should always be borne in mind that no good results can ;be obtained without careful Culture and good feed. By keeping these two conditions constantly in view, a good profitable fanner's flock may be bred up and maintained without any exorbitant expenditure in sires. If a high class flock is aimed at, the flock owner must be prepared for heavy expenses with problematical returns. It is nothing short of folly for a farmer of limited capital, gradually working his way along, to aim at high breeding. A useful welldoing flock is what he requires, and this may be obtained by the method we have indicated. One thing, however, should be observed,, that is, not to muddle the breeds. True, it is a most undecided question what cross or system of crossing is the best to adopt, but it is at least desirable that a flock should consist as near as possible of one class of sheep. We think it probable that if a fair trial were given no breed would be found so profitable on small holdings, especially on light land, as the Southdown. The Southdown thrives where a long-woolled sheep would starve. It is unsurpassed for quality of mutton, and not by any means so deficient in the fleece as is popularly supposed. One ot the. conditions mentioned as indispeusible to the welfare of a flock was plenty of feed, and a regular supply all the year round. In order to ensure the fulfilment of this condition, it is necessary to carefully estimate in the autumn the available resources in the shape of grass, hay, turnips, and other food. A stockowner should sell off every head of stock that he has not the means of keeping in fair condition through the winter. Overstocking is the most fatal of all mistakes in the management of stock. This cannot be too forcibly impressed upon the minds of those who have not had experience. It is not always an easy matter to avoid this mistake, for much depends upon the severity or the mildness of the winter. In his anxiety to avoid overstocking a farmer may | overstep the mai'k in the other direction, and thus fail to make the most of his resources. This, however, jg mistake

that is very seldom made,' for it is rarely indeed, that a farmer finds his stock over-burdened with flesh at the end of August.